Enhancing biological control of a root pest: Responses of entomopathogenic nematodes to chemical defenses of the western corn rootworm

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Koehler
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽  
Western Corn Rootworm ◽  
Chemical Defenses ◽  
Corn Rootworm

Evaluation of Trap Cropping and Biological Control Against Southern Corn Rootworm (Coleopetera: Chrysomelidae) in Peanuts

1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.E. Barbercheck ◽  
W.C. Warrick
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Corn Rootworm ◽  
Cucurbita Maxima ◽  
Biological Control Agents ◽  
Trap Crop ◽  
Diabrotica Undecimpunctata Howardi ◽  
Southern Corn Rootworm ◽  
Trap Cropping

Field trials to test the efficacy of trap cropping and biological control for the management of Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber (Chrysomelidae: Luperini) in peanuts were conducted in 1992, 1993, and 1994. Cucurbita maxima Duchesne cv. ‘Blue Hubbard’ was used as a trap crop for adult beetles and the entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema carpocapse Weiser and Steinernema riobravis Cabanillas, Poinar and Raulston, were used as biological control agents against soil-inhabiting larvae. In 1992, peanut yields were highest in treatments that included a trap crop. Trap crop did not affect yield in 1993 or 1994. In 2 out of the 3 years, distribution of pod damage relative to the trap crop suggested that beetles oviposited more frequently in peanuts growing in the row next to the trap crop than in peanuts 3 rows from the trap crop. Although entomopathogenic nematodes persisted for a sufficient period to overlap with the presence of rootworms, they did not affect yield or pod damage in peanuts.

scholarly journals Plant defense resistance in natural enemies of a specialist insect herbivore

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (46) ◽  
pp. 23174-23181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Zhang ◽  
Cong van Doan ◽  
Carla C. M. Arce ◽  
Lingfei Hu ◽  
Sandra Gruenig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Defense ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽  
Western Corn Rootworm ◽  
Insect Herbivore ◽  
Corn Rootworm ◽  
Biological Control Agents ◽  
Metabolic Resistance ◽  
Evolution Of Resistance ◽  
Specialist Insect

Plants defend themselves against herbivores through the production of toxic and deterrent metabolites. Adapted herbivores can tolerate and sometimes sequester these metabolites, allowing them to feed on defended plants and become toxic to their own enemies. Can herbivore natural enemies overcome sequestered plant defense metabolites to prey on adapted herbivores? To address this question, we studied how entomopathogenic nematodes cope with benzoxazinoid defense metabolites that are produced by grasses and sequestered by a specialist maize herbivore, the western corn rootworm. We find that nematodes from US maize fields in regions in which the western corn rootworm was present over the last 50 y are behaviorally and metabolically resistant to sequestered benzoxazinoids and more infective toward the western corn rootworm than nematodes from other parts of the world. Exposure of a benzoxazinoid-susceptible nematode strain to the western corn rootworm for 5 generations results in higher behavioral and metabolic resistance and benzoxazinoid-dependent infectivity toward the western corn rootworm. Thus, herbivores that are exposed to a plant defense sequestering herbivore can evolve both behavioral and metabolic resistance to plant defense metabolites, and these traits are associated with higher infectivity toward a defense sequestering herbivore. We conclude that plant defense metabolites that are transferred through adapted herbivores may result in the evolution of resistance in herbivore natural enemies. Our study also identifies plant defense resistance as a potential target for the improvement of biological control agents.

scholarly journals Biological Control of Western Corn Rootworm Using Nematodes, 1994

1995 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-173
Author(s):  
A. M. Journey ◽  
K. R. Ostlie
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Western Corn Rootworm ◽  
Corn Rootworm

scholarly journals The possibility of using entomopathogenic nematodes and entomophages as bioagents of the western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Le Conte)

2018 ◽  
pp. 191-197
Author(s):  
A. Sikura ◽  
V. Gunchak
Keyword(s):  
Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽  
Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera ◽  
Biological Agents ◽  
Western Corn Rootworm ◽  
Corn Rootworm ◽  
Diabrotica Virgifera

The article presents the results of studies on the possibility of using entomopathogenic nematodes and entomophages against the western corn rootworm. It is established that the bioagents under study are able to regulate the number of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Le Conte. The obtained results showed the prospects of using these biological agents for phytophage control.

scholarly journals Screening of entomopathogenic nematodes for virulence against the invasive western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Europe

2005 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 473-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Toepfer ◽  
C. Gueldenzoph ◽  
R.-U. Ehlers ◽  
U. Kuhlmann
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Entomopathogenic Nematode ◽  
Larval Mortality ◽  
Nematode Species ◽  
Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera ◽  
Western Corn Rootworm ◽  
Corn Rootworm ◽  
Diabrotica Virgifera ◽  
Biological Control Agents ◽  
Steinernema Glaseri

AbstractEntomopathogenic nematode species available in Europe were screened for their efficacy against both the root-feeding larvae and silk-feeding adults of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte. Laboratory screening tests were aimed at the selection of candidate biological control agents for the management of this invasive alien pest in Europe. Steinernema glaseri, S. arenarium, S. abassi, S. bicornutum, S. feltiae, S. kraussei, S. carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora were studied to determine their virulence against third instar larvae and adults of D. v. virgifera in small-volume arenas (using nematode concentrations of 0.5, 0.8, 7.9 and 15.9 infective juveniles cm–2). All nematode species were able to invade and propagate in D. v. virgifera larvae, but adults were rarely infected. At concentrations of 7.9 and 15.9 cm–2, S. glaseri, S. arenarium, S. abassi and H. bacteriophora caused the highest larval mortality of up to 77%. Steinernema bicornutum, S. abassi, S. carpocapsae and H. bacteriophora appeared to have a high propagation level, producing 5970±779, 5595±811, 5341±1177 and 4039±1025 infective juveniles per larva, respectively. Steinernema glaseri, S. arenarium, S. feltiae, S. kraussei and H. bacteriophora were further screened at a concentration of 16.7 nematodes cm–2 against third instar larvae in medium-volume arenas (sand-filled trays with maize plants). Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, S. arenarium and S. feltiae caused the highest larval mortality with 77±16.6%, 67±3.5%, and 57±17.1%, respectively. In a next step, criteria for rating the entomopathogenic nematode species were applied based on results obtained for virulence and propagation, and for current production costs and availability in Europe. These criteria were then rated to determine the potential of the nematodes for further field testing. Results showed the highest potential in H. bacteriophora, followed by S. arenarium and S. feltiae, for further testing as candidate biological control agents.

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